#WorthRevisit: Saint David's Day

The beginning of March was the beginning of Lent, also known as Ash Wednesday. What some may not have known, is that it was also Saint David's Day.His feast day is celebrated on March 1st so it is almost always within the Lenten Season. Here is my #WorthRevisit with Reconciled to You and Theology is a Verb.

Sunday, February 28, 2016

Saint David's Day

I have been making greater efforts to become more knowledgeable about Saints that I am not very acquainted. One of those Saints feast day is this Tuesday, March 1st. Saint David of Wales is a very intriguing Saint because there are many stories that are told of Saint David, including one about a sea monster and him standing on the ground as a small hill formed beneath him to raise him above a crowd with a dove on his shoulder! There is even another story about Saint David blessing poison bread and consuming it without being hurt. Being a mom of two boys I think these stories will be big enough to catch their attention while we celebrate this amazing man but insanely enough, there are even more stories. He is the patron saint of doves, poets and Wales. There are also a number of symbols used to represent Saint David such as the leek and daffodils! I think it would be a great experience to be in Wales on Saint David's Day to be included in the festivals and activities that are held on March 1st in his honor. 

SO... Here are a few of my thoughts on this feast day because I can honestly think of a million different things we could do to make this fun and memorable for my family!

Activities: 

Write a poem!! Saint David is the patron saint of poets and was known for the way he prayed, studied and wrote during his life. 

Only drink water today... Saint David only drank water and was even nicknamed "The Waterman". and never drank wine or beer! 

Plant some flowers because daffodils are a symbol of Saint David and his country of Wales. He was also a great laborer and said "every man is his own ox"... this would be the perfect day to start you Resurrection gardens too! There are still 3 weeks left in Lent for them to grow into beautiful displays for Easter.

Depending on your child's maturity, you could discuss Corpse Candles. Personally, my boys are a little too young but I am intrigued and may do some additional research on this subject for my own knowledge. 

Food:

Anything made with leeks or a vegetarian meal with some bread would be a great way to honor Saint David. 

Potato Leek Soup 

Spinach and Leek White Bean Soup

Rosemary Tomato Leek Soup

Some options other than soup:

Quiche with Tomato, Kale and Leek

Baked rice with leeks and bok choy

Vegetable Pot Pie (Including Parsnips, carrots, sweet potato and leeks)

I love to scroll through recipes on Catholic Cuisine and AllRecipes.com... AND Remember to drink some water with dinner :)

Tradition:

Obviously I won't be traveling on March 1st to Saint David's Cathedral but it is on my list of religious places I want to visit before I leave this world for the next but it is said that visiting the Cathedral of St Davids in Pembrokeshire where his remains are buried have become a popular place of pilgrimage. It was also said that two pilgrimages to St David's is equalled to one pilgrimage to Rome and three equalled one to Jerusalem. I am not sure of the validity of this statement but if anyone has some insight, I would appreciate it!

Prayer:

There are some prayers that you can start 9 days prior to the Feast of Saint David. I wish I would have done research on this really amazing Saint earlier so I could have done a Novena. Like I said earlier, he is a Saint I didn't know much about prior to my research I started the past few days. As a side note...The website linked to the Novenas is a great resource for any prayer you may want to find.

Video/ Audio:


There is a short YouTube Video that gives a short animation portrayal of how Saint David became a Saint. I think my boys will enjoy it. 

There is also a neat site called Storynory that has an audio on Saint David of Wales.

I really have enjoyed learning about Saint David as his Feast Day approaches. If you have any other information on Saint David or customs/ traditions used to honor this Saint, please let me know! Saint David is a great example of how to complete Lenten Sacrifices and reading about his life has inspired me to make this Lenten Season the best that it can be!

I leave you with with Saint David's last words...

"Be joyful, and keep your faith and your creed. Do those little things that you have seen me do and heard about."

Ash Wednesday: A Story You Won't Forget

I am struggling with this Lenten season already: I have not started a devotional yet, I have not set out our Lenten decor and I am feeling a little unmotivated. I feel like these are the very same reasons I need to get my butt in gear and finalize my late preparations and immerse myself in this blessed season as soon as possible and so this is the reason behind this post. I wanted to refocus on what is truly important and share all about my awesome experience this past Ash Wednesday.

Ash Wednesday is the official kick off day of the Lenten season and for Catholics means a day of fasting and abstinence (no eating meat). It is Day 1 in your Lenten sacrifice, additional prayers and alms-giving. Honestly, I have a deep love of Lent. It is always an enlightening experience and I feel that I make great strides in my vocation as a wife, mother and friend while growing closer in my relationship to God. 

Well, this Ash Wednesday was a little different and I can promise you that I will never forget it.

I have two children, Little Man (age 9) and Goalie (age 6). Little Man is old enough to receive Communion and often Altar Serves on a regular basis in our parish. Goalie on the other hand is too young to really participate in the Mass besides as a parishioner and he is often saddened that he cannot receive Communion or help as an Altar boy yet. In addition to Goalie's sadness about just getting to sit with mommy, he is developmentally delayed and undergoing autism testing (they are pretty sure he has Aspergers). I am sharing this background so you can truly understand my experience this past Wednesday.

Little Man was Altar Serving at the Ash Wednesday Mass we attended in the evening and Goalie and I were sitting in the front pew, as we always do, so we can see Little Man in action and Goalie can be close enough to the Choir to feel as if he is a part of it. Mass was going great! No real outbursts from Goalie and Little Man was doing an amazing job attending to his duties.

The ashes were blessed and we were in line to receive them on our foreheads. I can't even begin to describe Goalie's excitement to receive his ashes. He had made it seem like it would be the highlight of his life! We were blessed with our ashes and returned to our pew. 

Then it happened....

Goalie is holding his hands in front of him like he is fighting the urge to grab his face with both his hands and his face is contorted like he is in pain!

I ask him, "Are you Okay?" "What's wrong?"

He begins to shake his little hands and points at his head while exclaiming "My head is on fire!"

I was completely taken by surprise by this answer and obviously his head was not on fire but I think I sat there for a minute of two starring at my child while he was having a complete sensory meltdown. When I finally understood what was happening, I calmly explained that the ashes maybe felt strange but I assured Goalie he was not on fire and he was okay. This conversation about Goalie's head being on fire went on until right before the Consecration of the Eucharist. The poor little guy couldn't move past the idea that his forehead was on fire so in my desperation to make him feel better and screaming "My head is on fire!",  I allowed him to rub his ashes off. 

Looking back on this story now, it is actually quite funny, I mean it is the kind of story people joke about happening but I got to live it. 

If you think that's the end of my story you would be wrong, here's the icing on the cake.

After Goalie had calmed himself, I realized that I heard the bell ringing that is normally rung when the Eucharist is being blessed. But the Eucharist was not being held up by the priest yet. I looked up toward the Altar Servers to see Little Man ringing the bells like there is no tomorrow and he is just grinning from ear to ear. It was his first time getting the honor of ringing the bells and he obviously was excited and also had no clue what he was doing. One of the other servers was trying to get his attention to stop, but their efforts were in vain.

Between Little Man ringing the bells throughout the entire Consecration and Goalie's head "being on fire". It was quite the eventful Mass to say the least. 

 As promised I guaranteed you a story you would not forget! I can promise you that although this was the most hilarious Ash Wednesday, it was also one of the most special. Goalie was able to receive ashes for the first time (even though it was short lived) and Little Man had his first experience with more responsibility as an Altar Server and was extremely enthusiastic. We all made a memory we would never forget and found ourselves closer to God, that's what it is all about anyway right? The picture above is our #ashtag we shared in honor of Ash Wednesday.

Now, I want to hear from my readers! How is your start to Lent going? Are you feeling like me, behind and unorganized? Or have you already dove into this amazing season with two feet and feeling the blessings that come with a meaningful Lenten season? Have you had any experiences like me with burning heads and an excited Altar boy?

A Prayer for Ash Wednesday:

Gracious God, today begins a period of inner reflection and examination. The days stretch before me and invite me inward to that silent, holy space that holds your Spirit. This special time beckons me to see my life through Christ's eyes and the truth and reality of your love incarnate. Give me the grace to enter the space of these days with anticipation of our meeting. And, when I open my soul to your presence, let your loving kindness flow over me and seep into the pockets of my heart. I ask this for the sake of your love.

Amen.

Shrove Tuesday: Feast Before You Fast

Today is the last day before we begin our 40 day journey into Lent. Ash Wednesday is tomorrow but before you begin your Lenten walk, make sure to feast on Shrove Tuesday, also known as Fat Tuesday. This day is meant to be the day for you to purge your home of the ingredients you should attempt to stay away from during the Lenten season such as butter, milk, sugar and eggs. You know... the tasty ingredients that make our foods full flavored. It is for this reason that pancakes are super popular on Shrove Tuesday and is sometimes referred to as Pancake Day! I know we have an annual Pancake dinner every Fat Tuesday. I also learned that there is another reason that pancakes are so popular on the day before Lent. They represent the four pillars of the Christian faith. Eggs symbolize creation, flour is the mainstay of the human diet, salt represents wholesomeness and milk is a symbol for purity.

In our home we spend this day enjoying our delicious pancakes and normally a king cake. I was unable to get a king cake this year so we settled on a beautiful cake decorated in a similar fashion. We also prepare for Lent by discussing the things that we will be fasting from during the upcoming 40 days.

I have to admit I am somewhat behind on having I need ready for Lent but I should have everything completed by tomorrow. Check out my post about the Lenten Season to get ideas on how to celebrate this amazing season of Lent with your families.I will be sharing more tomorrow on Ash Wednesday as well.

Do you have traditions for Shrove Tuesday? If so, I would love to hear all about them! What about Lenten activities too?

I hope you and your families were able to feast before fasting begins tomorrow. Honestly, Lent is one of my favorite times of the year. A time to embrace a positive change in faith, love and life. Get ready for an amazing journey and be ready to accept your Lenten adventure. I can't wait to see what is in store for us all.

Prayer for Shrove Tuesday:

Lord, give us grace to inaugurate with holy fasting the defenses of Christian warfare, so that we who are to fight against spiritual wickedness, may be helped and strengthened by self-denial.
Amen

Catholic Style: Planner and Bullet Journal

Have you jumped into the Bullet Journal craze yet? If not, I think you should consider giving it a try. I am a mommy that is responsible for a lot of planning in my household and I am sure many of you can relate whether you are a mom, dad, student or just a busy person.

This post may contain affiliate links that I receive a small commission. It does not change the price for you but it is a small blessing to my family. All opinions are my own.

I am responsible myself for keeping track of my work schedule, which varies since I work in a restaurant, my doctor appointments (I was born with Spina Bifida so they have been pretty frequent lately and can include physical therapy and pain management) and scheduling myself time for myself to enjoy my workouts, hobbies and volunteer commitments. My children are your normal crazy kids that want to be involved in everything: altar serving, football, soccer, Cub Scouts and extra curricular school activities. To make things even more exciting, my youngest son is developmentally delayed and has weekly speech, occupational, behavioral and group therapies. In addition to the craziness I just described, I am also responsible for planning our family meals and running errands because my husband works 60+ hours a week and commutes 90 minutes each way to work. We are also a Catholic family, so that means we set aside time for prayers, devotions, Mass and the Sacraments. Now I am sure that you are probably reading this and thinking that I must be completely crazy to juggle the schedule that I just described but nowadays it is the norm to be extremely busy and feel stretched thin at times

Now, I am not going to convince you that the Bullet Journal is the answer to every families needs but it has certainly made a HUGE difference in mine! Not only has it become essential to my planning routine but it is relaxing and can be a great tool to increase your faith! If you are a little weary, don't be! I will be sharing some of my page layouts and explaining why I have decided to include them in my Bullet Journal. If you are convinced to try this system out, do not feel obligated to include every page layout in your system. The beauty of the bullet journal is that it is something that can be personalized to your unique needs.

I have always been a lover of organization and I have always utilized a planner even before including a Bullet Journal as a supplemental planning tool. To make my system a little easier to understand you first need to know how my planner is put together so I am going to divide this into two sections to make it easier to refer to as a template for your own planning needs.

Schedule Planner:

Some things to consider in your planner and how you need it to be utilized to be the most beneficial to you and your purposes:

1: How do you keep track of your schedule and the schedules of those you are responsible?

2. How detailed do you need your planner?

3. Do you use multiple planners? Print and/or electronic? Both?

I use a planner that has times written down each day and color code the events that are written in the planner. I also make sure to write the corresponding times even though there is spaces between the times to make sure I do not make myself late to something on accident. I do not normally include end times though because as a hospitality worker I know that NOTHING ends on time. You can only estimate which would add additional  planning so start times work best for me.


I also stated that I have recently started utilizing a bullet journal but I also use an online planner called Cozi to have reminders sent to me daily as well. Cozi is a great family app that allows your entire family to access the family schedule through a shared family password. The amazing thing is anyone can add, delete or update an event and you can send a notification so everyone that is attending will be made aware. You also have the option to set reminders before events occur just in case you need to have a warning before you move on through your schedule. There is a place to record your grocery list, find recipes and so much more. I highly suggest checking it out, especially since the basic package is FREE and can be downloaded on to your smart phone! 

Here is my color code system:

Me- Pink

Husband- Light Blue

Kids- Dark Blue

School Event- Orange

Important/ Need to Remember- Red

Church- Liturgical Season Color (Advent/ Lent- Purple, Ordinary Time- Green, etc)

Bill Due Dates- Light Green

Black/Brown: Menu

As I mentioned earlier, I do keep track of Liturgical Calendar events in my planner. It helps me plan our menu and family activities. It is the first thing I write each month when I am getting organized for each new month.

As you can see from this exert from my planner that there is room for me to write "scheduled" events but not much room for writing to-do lists, errands or other important things such as book lists, blog ideas, exercise routines water intake and so much more. What about ways to hold yourself accountable to your prayers? attending Mass? Adoration? Devotions? Fellowship? That is where the Bullet Journal comes in to play.

Bullet Journal:

A Bullet Journal has no defined order. No necessary inclusions. It is completely your creation used in any way that you deem important. For me, creating healthy habits is vitally important.

Habit Tracker: A Habit Tracker is one of my favorite ways to increase my good habit making decisions and have a physical copy of things that I can visually look at, to see my strengths and weaknesses. You could also utilize this to help with Natural Family Planning as well. This habit tracker is a monthly one that I really did like but I decided that things I am unable to do everyday, such as, Confession, Adoration and attending Mass should be included on my weekly spreads since it is something I tend to do weekly versus daily. Praying the Rosary and other daily prayers could easily be included in a Monthly Habit Tracker like the one above.

Reading Challenge: Reading is one of my hobbies and an essential aspect of growing my faith. Included in my Reading Challenge for this year is A Walk in Her Sandals and Rediscover Jesus. Many of the books that I have been pulled to read are devotionals or are inspirational. This Reading Challenge layout is suppose to look like a library and I am coloring in each book as I finish reading them. You could modify this layout to contain the devotionals and bible studies you would like to complete throughout the year.

Rosary Tracker: I'll admit that this tracker I actually found online and just printed it small enough to fit on the inside cover of my bujo. If you follow the link it will take you to a PDF that you could also utilize in the same fashion or you could go ahead and draw a similar copy if you prefer. With this being the 100 year celebration of Fatima, there is no better time to get on your daily family rosaries.

Weekly Layout: My weekly layouts are used to create to-do lists and keep track of when I attend my Sacraments. I keep things simple and try to utilize the same color code I mentioned is in my regular planner so my organization flows more easily but sometimes I have to jot down an errand or idea with whatever writing utensil is readily available.

Adoration Intentions: It is so easy to create a list of intentions to bring with you to Adoration and to know you have a location to jot down a friend or family members special prayer requests. If you ever see my posts asking for your requests, you can guarantee I write them out so that they are with me. I also revisit these requests each time I attend the Sacrament of Adoration. This layout is similar to the ones I've already shared but because several of the intentions I have written on my list are personal for myself and several others I decided not to share.

Obviously, the layouts that can be included in a Bullet Journal are infinite. Anything you dream up can be included in your unique journal. I would also like to point out that my Bullet Journal pages are not works of art. I have seen some absolutely beautiful pages on Pinterest and in Bullet Journal Groups I participate. If you are not artsy, do not allow that to push you away from trying out this great organizational tool. The purpose of these tools is to make yourself more accountable and organized. I would love to see some of the beautiful Catholic style layouts you design in your bullet journals and feel free to share how you use your planners. Are there designs you would like to to create? Just ask and I'll do my best to help find or create something that can help you.

God Bless!

Seven Activities to Celebrate the Epiphany

Christmas is still not over! Nope! Not yet... Today is the twelfth day of Christmas also known as the Epiphany, Little Christmas or Three Kings Day. The day that commemorates the visit of the Magi to the Christ Child. The traditional date is January 6th but the church will celebrate the Epiphany on the Sunday between January 2th and January 8th. This very special feast has some amazing traditions correlated with it and they certainly can make some lasting memories for your friends and family involved. The Epiphany is celebrated world wide and there are many traditional ways to celebrate and unique ways to celebrate in different countries and cultures. Besides completing your Nativity with the Wise Men, here are seven activities that you can do to celebrate the feast of the Epiphany. 

{ONE}

Chalking the Door

Chalking the Door is a great tradition to start with your families! A traditional way of doing this is to use blessed chalk to write above your home’s doorway:

20 + C + M + B + 17

While you write this above your doorway remember to recite:

The three Wise Men, Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar followed the star of God’s Son who became human two thousand and fifteen years ago. May Christ bless our home and remain with us throughout the new year. Amen.

The letters C, M, B have two meanings. They are the initials of the traditional names of the three Magi: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar. They also abbreviate the Latin words Christus Mansionem Benedicat, “May Christ bless the house.” The “+” signs represent the cross and 17 represents the year. 

To bless the chalk prior to "Chalking the Door" recite the following prayer and sprinkle holy water on the chalk:

Loving God, bless this chalk which you have created, that it may be helpful to your people; and grant that through the invocation of your most Holy Name that we who use it in faith to write upon the door of our home the names of your holy ones Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar, may receive health of body and protection of soul for all who dwell in or visit our home; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

{TWO}

Sing Epiphany Songs

Who doesn't love a great karaoke number? There are two songs that are quintessential to celebrate the Epiphany: We Three Kings of Orient Are and the Twelve Days of Christmas. For obvious reasons you can see why these songs are so perfect. It is traditional to sing and celebrate the Epiphany with Christmas music so don't forget to add these songs on your Epiphany play list. Don't know the songs? I have attached the lyrics below so you can sing until your hearts content!

We Three Kings of Orient Are:

We three kings of Orient are,

bearing gifts we traverse afar,

field and fountain, moor and mountain,

following yonder star.

Refrain:

O star of wonder, star of night,

star with royal beauty bright;

westward leading, still proceeding,

guide us to thy perfect light!

Born a King on Bethlehem's plain,

gold I bring to crown him again,

King for ever, ceasing never

Over us all to reign. (Refrain)

Frankincense to offer have I:

incense owns a Deity nigh;

prayer and praising, gladly raising,

worship him, God Most High. (Refrain)

Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume

Breathes a life of gathering gloom;

sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,

sealed in the stone-cold tomb. (Refrain)

Glorious now behold him arise,

King and God and Sacrifice;

heaven sings, alleluia; 

alleluia the earth replies. (Refrain)

The Twelve Days of Christmas:

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me a partridge in a pear tree.

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me two turtle doves

And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me three French hens,

Two turtle doves, and a Partridge in a pear tree.

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves and a Partridge in a pear tree.

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me five golden rings,

Four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves and a Partridge in a pear tree.

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me six geese a laying,

Five golden rings, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves

And a Partridge in a pear tree.

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me seven swans a swimming,

Six geese a laying, five golden rings, four calling birds, three French hens,

Two turtle doves and a Partridge in a pear tree.

On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me eight maids a milking,

Seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying, five golden rings, four calling birds,

Three French hens, two turtle doves and a Partridge in a pear tree.

On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me nine ladies dancing,

Eight maids a milking, seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying, five golden rings,

Four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves and a Partridge in a pear tree.

On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me ten lords a leaping,

Nine ladies dancing, eight maids a milking, seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying,

Five golden rings, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves

And a Partridge in a pear tree.

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me eleven pipers piping,

Ten lords a leaping nine ladies dancing, eight maids a milking, seven swans a swimming,

Six geese a laying, five golden rings, four calling birds, three French hens,

Two turtle doves and a Partridge in a pear tree.

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me twelve drummers drumming,

Eleven pipers piping, ten lords a leaping nine ladies dancing, eight maids a milking,

Seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying, five golden rings, four calling birds,

Three French hens, two turtle doves and a Partridge in a pear tree.

{THREE}

The Three Kings Cake

The Three King Cake is a very special treat that can not be forgotten on the Epiphany! It is eaten in honor of the three kings, also known as the Magi or Wise Men. A custom that I really enjoy is when one slice of the King Cake is set aside for God. There are so many different variations of this delicious treat but all have something hidden inside ranging from a plastic baby that represents baby Jesus to chocolate coins. The traditional custom states that whoever finds the baby Jesus or Chocolate Coin must host the party on Candlemas, which falls on February 2nd. I am doing a similar version of this but with cupcakes placed in a circle and a crown as the centerpiece of the presentation. 

I think it would be completely appropriate for you to allow your children to craft some Crowns to wear during the festivities as well.

{FOUR}

Giving Gifts

In several cultures this night is the evening when they receive gifts! In the Spanish culture, children go to bed waiting with anticipation for a visit from the Three Kings. They place snacks for the Kings' camels under their beds or in their shoes near the fireplace on the night of the Epiphany. The next morning, the children awaken to find that the camel snacks are gone and presents are left for them. Sometimes the camels will leave a trail of the hay to lead the children to where their gifts have been placed.

Have you ever heard of Belfana? I think this custom is so amazing because they leave out wine and an orange for Belfana in hope that she will reward them with gifts for good behavior. She is also known to leave coal for the naughty children. The legend states that the Magi invited Belfana to accompany them to visit the Christ Child but she was too busy sweeping her house at the time. She quickly regretted her decision and went out after the Magi, who were all ready far, far ahead of her. She continues her search to this day, riding her broomstick all over the world in search of Jesus. Want to learn more about this legend? Checkout Old Belfana. There is also a song that accompanies Belfana's legend:

La Befana comes at night

In tattered shoes

Dressed in the Roman style

Long live la Befana!

{FIVE}

Decorate With Flowers

Decorating for events is a great way to set the mood of an event. If you are hosting a Twelfth Night Party or a special Epiphany dinner try including an assortment of "Star of Bethlehem" flowers and/or "Mary's Star" flowers. Both are brilliant white flowers that look similar to a star. They would certainly be a great conversational piece for your friends and family. A little less known fact is that there is a legend involving the Magi and a Mary's Star also known as the Ox-Eye Daisy. Legend says that after the Magi followed the Star of Bethlehem into Bethlehem, they stopped because they didn't know where to go. Saint Melchior looked down and saw an Ox-Eye Daisy blooming. He noticed its resemblance to the Star they had followed to Bethlehem and decided to pluck it from the ground. As he did this, the door to the stable where the Holy Family was staying opened, showing the Magi where the Christ Child lay.

{SIX}

Cheers to the Epiphany

What kind of celebration could you enjoy without a special beverage? There are several drinks that I have come across that are encouraged to share on this night. Hot chocolate variations and Cider drinks are all very popular during the feast day, especially since it is Winter and the air has a bite to it most days. A recipe for a drink called Lamb's Wool is a traditional Epiphany drink. I have shared a recipe below:

6 baking apples, cored

2 tablespoons to 1/2 cup brown sugar, depending on sweetness of cider/ale

2 quarts cider, hard cider, ale, or a mixture of cider and ale

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Roast the apples in a baking pan at 450 degrees for around an hour, until they are very soft and bursting open. In a large saucepan, dissolve the sugar a few tablespoons at a time in the liquid of choice, tasting for sweetness. Add the spices. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Squeeze all of the pulp from the apples and discard the skins then fluff the puree with a fork and add to the liquid. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and serve immediately. 

I am sure you could make this for children if you simply substitute the hard cider with a sparkling non alcoholic apple cider served in a mug.

{SEVEN}

Woman's Christmas

So although I am in love with all the previous mentioned activities, the next one is definitely my favorite! The Epiphany also known as 'Nollaig na mBean' or Women's Christmas in Ireland is becoming very popular. On the Epiphany the women get the day off and the men do the cooking and the cleaning! Women gather together to meet up to enjoy tea and cakes while their husbands prepare their homes for the Epiphany. I don't know about you, but I don't think my husband would have the time to pull together a Twelfth Night Party with his crazy schedule but I do think it would be a great new tradition to setup a special time around breakfast or lunch to get together with your close women friends and family for some light refreshments. What do you think? Anyone want to come over for some tea and cakes this Sunday? 

Whether you decide to celebrate the Epiphany tonight, this upcoming Sunday or maybe even both nights, remember to create some family memories and traditions! I would love to hear all about your Epiphany celebrations so please tag me in your Instagram or Facebook pictures or comment below with your activities! I will be sharing details about our Epiphany party this Sunday! Now I have a big question for you:

Do you take down your Christmas decorations after the Epiphany or do you leave them up until Candlemas? 

I am going to start a poll on Facebook so please stop by and give me your vote. I am sharing this with This Ain't the Lyceum for Seven Quick Takes.

Have a Blessed Epiphany and God Bless!

Keeping Christ in Christmas and {GIVEAWAY}

Over the years , the Advent and Christmas seasons have somehow lost their uniqueness and their TRUE meanings. Advent is the four weeks prior to Christmas and is meant to be a time to prepare or the coming of Christ. It is a time of anticipation and longing. This is when we clean our homes, eliminate clutter and decorate. We begin cooking special treats that will be shared during the Christmas season. If you are still searching for some ideas on how to make your Advent season more Holy check out my entire Advent series below:

How to Prepare for a Holy Advent Series: Part 1

How to Prepare for a Holy Advent Series: Part 2

How to Prepare for a Holy Advent Series: Part 3

How to Prepare for a Holy Advent Series: Part 4

Now, Christmas is the season following Advent and is so much more than one day of unwrapping presents. The Christmas season is actually much longer and means so much more! The official end to Christmas ends with the feast of the Baptism of Our Lord. Why are we in such a hurry to finish celebrating the birth of our Savior? I am going to share some ideas that will help you recenter the focus of your Christmas season.

Christmas Day: December 25th

The most important thing to remember today is that we are celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. It is his birthday! If you take a look at all the family traditions you have on this special day from the perspective of you celebrating baby Jesus's birthday, everything will become more meaningful. Those presents under your tree are not just presents, but gifts that Jesus wants you to use to spread joy and love because he is the light of the world. Another easy and simple way to make today about Jesus is to bake him a Birthday Cake! You could even top them with candles: one for each family member, or even put the year written out with number candles. Today is also the day we light our Christ Candles. If you have a nativity displayed, now would be a perfect time to start moving the wise men a little closer to the Nativity each day, until they arrive on the Epiphany, also known as Three Kings Day.

Feast of Holy Innocents: December 28th

The feast of Holy Innocents is celebrated in remembrance of all the babies that were martyred while King Herod was searching for the baby Jesus. Today is also known as the youngest day. It is traditional to allow the youngest child to dictate the day and to celebrate with special treats that are white and red. White represents the purity of the innocent children and red represents their blood that was shed. Start a new tradition of blessing your children before bed with holy water each night. I know my boys love it! 

O Lord, omnipotent Father, we give you thanks for having given us children. They are our joy, and we accept with serenity the worries, fear and labors which bring us pain. Help us to love them sincerely. Through us you gave life to them; from eternity you knew them and loved them. Give us wisdom to guide them, patience to teach them, vigilance to accustom them to the good through our example.

Support our love so that we may receive them back when they have strayed and make them good. It is often so difficult to understand them, to be as they would want us to be, to help them to go on their way. Grant that they may always see our home as a haven in their time of need. Teach us and help us, O good Father, through the merits of Jesus, your Son and our Lord. Amen.

Feast of the Holy Family: December 30th

The Feast of the Holy Family is not just about the Holy Family, but about our own families too. The main purpose of the Feast is to present the Holy Family as the model for all Christian families, and for domestic life in general. This is a day to celebrate the "domestic church" within your home.

O most loving Jesus, Who by Thy sublime and beautiful virtues of humility, obedience, poverty, modesty, charity, patience and gentleness, and by the example of Thy domestic life, didst bless with peace and happiness the family Thou didst choose on earth, in Thy clemency look down upon this household, humbly prostrate before Thee and imploring Thy mercy. Remember that this family belongs to Thee; for to Thee we have in a special way dedicated and devoted ourselves. Look upon us in Thy loving kindness; preserve us from danger; give us help in time of need, and grant us the grace to persevere to the end in the imitation of Thy Holy Family; that having revered Thee and loved Thee faithfully on earth, we may bless and praise Thee eternally in heaven.

O Mary, most sweet Mother, to thy intercession we have recourse, knowing that thy Divine Son will hear thy prayers.

And do thou, O glorious Patriarch, St. Joseph, assist us by thy powerful mediation, and offer, by the hands of Mary, our prayers to Jesus. Amen.

Feast of Mary, Mother of God: January 1st

This is the first Holy Day of Obligation for the New Year. It's fitting that it is the first day of the New Year as well. Calling Mary "mother of God" is the highest honor we can give Mary. Just as Christmas honors Jesus as the "Prince of Peace," the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God honors Mary as the "Queen of Peace" This solemnity is also designated the World Day of Peace.

Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus: January 3rd

Today we celebrate Jesus being named. It is after his circumcision and in honor of Mary fulfilling what the angel foretold. 

Feast of the Epiphany: January 8th

Today is known as the day the three wise men came to see the new born king. It is known as the Epiphany and Three Kings Day. It is traditional to have a celebration on this day that includes enjoying a King Cake and blessing your home with blessed chalk. On your home paint the letters "20+C+M+B+17" which are for the Latin Christus Mansionem Benedicat (Christ bless this house). At the same time the letters are the first letters of the names of the wise men: Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar. 

Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord: January 9th

This is the "official" end of the Christmas season and is time to remove the Christmas decorations. It is custom if you have a real Christmas tree to celebrate the end of this magical season with a bonfire. Celebrate a renewal of your own Baptismal vows and finish off your Christmas treats today.

In addition to these special feast days and their traditions, remember to keep Christ in Christmas by sending Christmas Cards, singing Christmas Carols, plan a Twelfth Night party! I came across this neat resource called Why Christmas? and it has many online games including build your own nativity and build your own wisemen! Want to see more? Make sure to come back and see how I celebrate with my family throughout the Christmas season.

I am sharing this post with the CWBN Blog Hop. The hoppers participating here - affectionately calling ourselves the Siena Sisters* -- will post on the 3rd Tuesday of each month. The posts go live at the same time; and are all linked to this central landing page; allowing for easier visiting between blogs. We hope you will read many of them; as well as comment on the posts, and share them on social media.

In honor of Keeping Christ in Christmas I am running my first ever Giveaway thanks to the amazingly talented Jen from Faith and Fabric! The winner will get to pick one of the beautiful metal cuff bracelets stamped with "Pinot Noir and Prayers". Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Feast of Saint Ambrose: Celebrate the Light of the World

I can not believe how quick and smoothly this Advent has been! Today is the feast of Saint Ambrose and we kept it quick and simple. Saint Ambrose is one of four Doctors of the Church and has some amazing stories to accompany his great stature as a saint. There is a legend that when Saint Ambrose was just an baby, a swarm of bees landed on his face but instead of stinging him, left behind a drop of honey. To his father, this was a sign that Ambrose would become someone with a special talent for speaking. As an adult, Saint Ambrose became the bishop of Milan. He donated all of his land and money to the poor. These reasons and many more made him extremely popular among the people and even more politically powerful than the emperor at times. He is the patron saint of bee keepers, beggars, learning and Milan.

To start our morning, we were welcomed with another note from Buddy the Elf reminding us of this very special feast day. He brought us some candles and requested that we make our Christ Candle today. Creating the Christ Candle is a very fun and appropriate craft since bees are known for their wonderful wax.

As you can see from the picture at the top of this post, we easily created our Christ Candle with a gold Sharpie and a glass candle from the Dollar Tree. Placing the Christ Candle in the center of the Advent wreath is a great way to incorporate it into your Advent celebrations. It is something to anticipate and you light it on Christmas because we have been graced with the Light of the World.

After we finished our Christ Candle, we enjoyed a nice family dinner of Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken. It was modified slightly from the recipe I shared on my Menu Plan Monday post because I forgot to defrost my chicken breasts! So I cooked everything in the crockpot on high in the crockpot for 2 hours and then grilled the chicken until it was cooked fully. It turned out amazing!

I am now enjoying a nice cup of mint tea with honey to end today's festivities! How is your Advent progressing? It's not too late to make it the best Advent ever! Just let me know if you need some suggestions or help... I have tons of resources to share!

Penitential Prayer of St. Ambrose of Milan:

O Lord, who hast mercy upon all,

take away from me my sins,

and mercifully kindle in me

the fire of thy Holy Spirit.

Take away from me the heart of stone,

and give me a heart of flesh,

a heart to love and adore Thee,

a heart to delight in Thee,

to follow and enjoy Thee, for Christ's sake

Amen

Saint Ambrose, pray for us!

Feast of Saint Nicholas: Stockings, Candy Canes and So Much More!

This post may contain affiliate links. I would make a small commission if you click the link and choose to purchase something. There is no increased cost to you and All opinions here are mine. I greatly appreciate your support!

December 6th is the feast of Saint Nicholas of Myra but the fun begins the night before when you pull out your shoes in hopes that Saint Nicholas will fill them with treats and goodies. I normally have the children put out their church shoes but they had already put out a pair of Crocs and Running Sneakers before I had the chance to ask! I think that may be because Buddy the Elf gave the boys a heads up this morning.

The boys found our Elf on the Shelf named Buddy, hiding in a stocking with a note. The note reads: 

Today is the Eve of the Feast of Saint Nicholas. Remember to put out a pair of shoes tonight and maybe you'll get some goodies. Remember to keep up with your Advent sacrifices. Behave for your parents. Love Buddy

If you utilize the Elf on the Shelf, it can be used to draw attention to the liturgical aspects of the Advent season. Interested in ideas? Checkout #BuddyKongElfAdventures  where I'll be sharing Buddy's Liturgical Adventures this Advent season.

It is tradition in our home that the boy's old shoes will be replaced with new or some slippers will appear. This year the shoes remained the same but the boys each received a new book, a chocolate Saint Nick, chocolate coins, candy canes and oranges (not pictured). The oranges were actually brought home by my husband because I COMPLETELY FORGOT to pick some up on my way home yesterday! OOPS! Either way, daddy came to the rescue! Another neat fact is that all of these gifts and goodies came from the Dollar Tree so it was inexpensive but super memorable.

It just so happens that this feast day fell during the school week so there was no problem with the boys staying up too late from excitement but we did have a blast watching Saint Nicholas: The Boy Who Became Santa and Veggie Tales Saint Nicholas: A Story of Joyful Giving together. We also read The Legend of the Candy Cane before bed because it is traditional to bless candy canes on the feast of Saint Nicholas. 

This morning the boys woke up bright and early! They actually got into their treats and cutting up their oranges for school before I had a chance to snap any pictures. They are getting to quick for me lately. They devoured their oatmeal and we dropped the boys off at school since the weather is going a little crazy around here. We are suppose to be hit with a pretty big snow storm tonight so we will see. 

After school we were able to do our Candy Cane Blessing! It had been on the kids' minds all day and they shared their excitement with teachers and fellow students. As you can see from the picture above we had tons of candy canes to bless. Have you ever done a candy cane blessing? If not, I highly suggest checking out the Saint Nicholas Center: Candy Cane Blessing! We have used it several times and the whole family loves it.

Something you may not know about one of the most famous saints of all time is not only is he the patron saint of children, especially young boys, but is also a patron for travelers and brewers! You read that right! Brewers! That means the adults in the house can raise a glass to Saint Nicholas tonight too. There is a legend about Saint Nicholas that ties him to beer. The story says that 3 church scholars, who stopped for lodging at an inn, were killed by the innkeeper for their money. Saint Nicholas disguised himself and invoked God's help to resurrect the church scholars. This is how he became a protector over travelers and brewers. In honor of this amazing story we enjoyed some Beer Bratwurst with Onions and Peppers for dinner.

Now that we are stuffed! The boys decorated the Christmas Tree with our blessed candy canes and I am about to make the boys some hot chocolate while I enjoy a Blue Moon: Cappuccino Oatmeal Stout! A nice root beer float would be a fun way to celebrate tonight but it is too cold for ice cream here!

I hope your family enjoyed the feast of Saint Nicholas as much as mine did! I would love to hear about your traditions and see your beautiful pictures!

Children's Prayer to Saint Nicholas:

God Our Father we pray,

That through the intercession of St. Nicholas,You will protect our children.Keep them safe from harm,And help them grow,And become worthy of Your sight.

To keep their Faith in You,

And to keep alive their joy,

In Your creation.

Through Jesus Christ Our Lord.

Give them strength,

Amen.

St. Nicholas, pray for us!

Saint Andrew and the Christmas Novena

November 30th is the feast of Saint Andrew the Apostle. He was first a follower of John the Baptist and then Saint Andrew became the first Apostle of Jesus. This particular feast has a lot of strange traditions for unmarried women. In Europe, tradition states that single women who wish to marry ask for Saint Andrew for assistance. The night before his feast, they should sleep naked and they should dream about their future husband. There is another tradition that says that unmarried women should pay attention to the direction of barking dogs on Saint Andrew’s Eve, that is the direction that their future husband will come from that direction. On the day after the feast of Saint Andrew, young men and women gather cups and write their names and "priest" on the cups. The cups are then set to float in a tub. If a specific boy‘s and a girl‘s cup drift together and are met by the cup with “priest” written across, it indicates marriage.

In honor of this patron saint of fisherman, it felt only acceptable to enjoy a seafood feast. I decided to bake some breaded cod, coconut shrimp, shrimp tempura and panko crusted shrimp with grilled asparagus and quinoa. It was a hit with the whole family. NO LEFTOVERS! We also got to finish off some sparking apple cider from Thanksgiving!

Tonight was also the evening we decided to decorate our Christmas tree. It has been a family tradition to decorate our tree on Thanksgiving evening but with my increased work schedule we had to push it off. I really wish that I could convince my family to wait until closer to Christmas to setup and decorate the tree but it's hard to break a tradition we've been honoring for as long as my kids can remember. Another special tradition we have to celebrate our Christmas tree, is we add special ornaments each year that represent accomplishments or something special that we hope to remember and we add that ornament on Christmas Eve. We still are on the hunt for our ornament for this year... I can't wait to share what we decide to get. Do you have traditions surrounding your tree? ornaments? something else?

After the tree decorating and enjoying some hot beverages, (hot cocoa for the kids and hot tea for me and the hubby) we moved onto the kids' Advent Adventures with Holy Heroes. Are you participating? If not, you should! It has been part of our Advent tradition for the past several years and it is amazing! Today the Advent Adventure included information on Saint Andrew, which only added to the excitement of this feast day!

Today is the day to start a famously known novena called the Christmas Novena. You say it fifteen times a day until Christmas Day. It is said that anyone who completes the novena will not be denied their request. I will be completing my novena tonight while I am finishing my Advent devotions.

Saint Andrew Christmas Novena:

Hail, and blessed be the hour and moment

At which the Son of God was born

Of a most pure Virgin

At a stable at midnight in Bethlehem

In the piercing cold

At that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee,

To hear my prayers and grant my desires

(mention request here). 

Through Jesus Christ and His most Blessed Mother.

Saint Andrew, pray for us!

How to Prepare for a Holy Advent Series: Part 2

Prayers and Devotions are very important to a Holy Advent Season. Neither have to be extremely long or tedious just something that you do each day to help you grow in Faith. This particular post is going to focus more on an adult version of Advent. Don't get me wrong, I fully participate in all the kids activities I discussed in How to Prepare for a Holy Advent Series: Part 1 because I love arts and crafts, and all the fun you are allowed to have as a child, but you also need the prayers, readings, devotions and the other deeply intriguing parts to even you out as an adult. Most of the topics here can also be modified to be more easily understood for children too. So take what you like, modify it or share it with your friends and family. I would love to see how this information was used to help bring a meaningful Advent to you and those you love. Let's get started!

This post may contain affiliate links. I would make a small commission if you click the link and choose to purchase something. There is no increased cost to you and All opinions here are mine. I greatly appreciate your support!

Prayers:

Prayers are so important to incorporate into your Advent Activities. Most of these prayers are copyrighted so I will link to the sites that offer the prayers on their sites. Some of the websites even include an option to print the prayers for your own person use. I would encourage you to create a notebook with prayers like these to have on hand and easily accessible when they are needed.

Blessing of the Advent Wreath:

Advent Wreath Prayers for each week:

Jesse Tree Blessing

Blessing of the Nativity

Saint Andrew Christmas Novena:

**To be said 15 times a day from November 30th to Christmas Eve**

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born Of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen.

Blessing of Candy Canes on Feast of Saint Nicholas

Blessing of the Family Christmas Tree

Blessing the Christmas Ornaments

Advent Prayer Packet:

Free Download and Resource from Loyola Press

O Antiphon Prayers:

The O Antiphons are a special and ancient part of our liturgy. I am dedicating the third part of my Advent Series because there is so much wonderful information to share and activities that can be done to make these days the most memorable, especially as these days lead up to Christmas Eve. These night celebrate the special names given to Our Lord by prophets.

December 17

O Wisdom of our God Most High,

guiding creation with power and love:

come to teach us the path of knowledge!

December 18

O Leader of the House of Israel,

giver of the Law to Moses on Sinai:

come to rescue us with your mighty power!

December 19

O Root of Jesse’s stem,

sign of God’s love for all his people:

come to save us without delay!

December 20

O Key of David,

opening the gates of God’s eternal Kingdom:

come and free the prisoners of darkness!

December 21

O Radiant Dawn,

splendor of eternal light, sun of justice:

come and shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the

shadow of death.

December 22

O King of all nations and keystone of the Church:

come and save man, whom you formed from the dust!

December 23

O Emmanuel, our King and Giver of Law:

come to save us, Lord our God!

I suggest that you sign up for Novena reminders through Pray More Novenas. They will send reminders to you directly via email so you never forget when a Novena and other prayers start. I use the resource and love it.

Devotions:

Devotion is a fancy word for love. Love is the key to everything in our Catholic faith. Find some devotions, or loves, that bring you closer to Christ. This can be anything to 5 minutes of time for you to doodle in your prayer journal, to reading devotional books or anything that allows you to fully dedicate yourself to time with you and Christ. I am going to list a few devotionals I think are worth looking into and you can choose what works best for you!

Photo Challenge by The Zelie Group:

This is a Photo-a-day Challenge I am helping to host with The Zelie Group. Take a picture and share it with us each day throughout Advent and share what makes it special or meaningful to you. I am excited to be a part of this devotion and I can't wait to see what beautiful pictures are shared.

There is another Photo Challenge by I Love my Shepherd as well. Check out their post and follow their link to the PDF they created for Advent 2016.

Advent Devotions for Busy Families

2016 Magnificat Advent Companion

A Catholic Family Advent: Prayers and Activities

Advent with Saint Teresa of Calcutta

I am super excited to be using this devotional throughout this upcoming Advent. I received it in my Little Catholic Box subscription and it's sitting on our home altar just waiting for me to open it up November 27th.

Daily Advent Devotional for Women by the Littlest Way

This is a FREE email subscription devotional and I just registered to complete this devotional along with several others with my family. Sign up so you have an extra option for Advent.

By the Manager in the Morning Advent 2016 by Blessed is She

Devotionals are some of my favorite things to do during periods of greater prayer. They are very insightful and can help focus your intentions and grow your faith. If none of the devotionals above caught your eye, you could always do a scriptural devotion in your prayer journal too. I like to do both because doodling and writing are some of my favorite activities but I also enjoy reading. With so many different options, you can find something that will work for you!

Looking for a fun way to celebrate Advent and bring back the spark you had as a child? Checkout these very Grown-Up Advent Calendars. I think one of these would be a perfect Advent present for someone you want to include in the festivities that may not always join in the fun normally.

Music:

Advent music is COMPLETELY different from Christmas Music. The sounds of Advent are suppose to increase our anticipation of the joyous Christmas season. Here is a short (10 song) list that you should take a listen to during Advent to help set the mood in your household. Most people aren't aware that there are different types of Music for this season and I'll be honest, I listen to Christmas Carols and Christmas music during Advent sometimes too. It's just one of those things that is hard to not do during Advent. Well here is a short Advent play list for you. There are several different versions of each song so take a look and choose your favorites! Any song that Celine Dion has sung is my favorite (Ave Maria makes me tear up every time I listen to it). Tell me what songs do you listen to in this time of waiting? Or are you like me and struggle with holding back on the Christmas Music too?

O Come O Come Emmanuel

O Come Divine Messiah

Come Thou Long Expected Jesus

Ave Maria

Come Thou Fount

Every Valley Shall Be Exalted

Lo! How A Rose E’er Blooming

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent

My Soul Rejoices

Come and Reign

In the third part of this Advent Series, I will be taking a closer look into the O Antiphons. I will discuss what they are, fun ways to celebrate, traditions and some crafts. I'll include some great family movies and books that you should checkout this Advent too. The final portion of this Advent series will include an Advent Bucket List that can correspond with specific days throughout Advent or you can just use it as a list to help you fully enjoy the season. I will also include a Christmas Shopping Guide. Is there anything you would like to see added before this series is complete? I am already working on some Christmas posts as well.

God Bless!